Fertilizer-distributer.



N0.v99,4s4. I I PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

W. A. MITCHELL. FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTBR.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29, 1905.

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w. A. MITCHELL.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER. unmuuon rum) WHEN-.1906.

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PATENT OFFICE.

'WVILLIAM ALISON MITCHELL, OF TIFTON, GEORGIA.

FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent, i

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed June 29, 1905. Serial No. 267,608.

To all whom it may con/corn:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALIsoN MITCH- ELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Tifton, in the county of Berrien and State ofGeorgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fertilizer-Distributers; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in fertilizer-distributers; and itconsists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed. v The object of theinvention is to provide a simple and eliicient means which may be applied to wagons of ordinary construction, so as to adapt them fordistributing manure or other-fertilizer either in rows or broadcast, asdesired.

The above and other objects, which will appear as the nature of myinvention is better understood, are accomplished by means of theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a top plan view of a fertilizerdistributer constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewthrough the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view takenon the line 3 3 in Fig-l, and Fig. 4 is a detail view showing themachine adapted for distributing the manure or fertilizer broadcast.

Referring to the drawings by numeral,.1 denotes the frame orrunning-gear of a wagon upon which is mounted a body 2 and which issupported by front and rear wheels 3, as shown. to receive the manure orother fertilizer to be distributed, has its bottom constructed of twooppositely and downwardly inclined sections 4, which have their loweradjacent ends spaced. apart, as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Thespace between said sections 4 is adapted to be varied by two adjustableplates 5, which extend transversely across the upper faces of saidsections at their lower ends and which are adjustably mounted,preferably, by forming them with slot-s 6 to receive bolts 7, which alsopass through the sections 4. By adjusting said plates toward and fromeach other the space between them may be varied to control the amount ofmanure distributed broadcast. When the machine is to be used fordistributing the fertilizer in rows, the plates in the drawings.

The body 2, which forms a hopper 5 are adjusted so that their adjacentedges contact, and the only outlets for the fertilizer will be throughalining notches or recesses 8, formed in said edges of the plates, asshown Any desired number of said recesses or notches 8 may be provided,so that the fertilizer may be distributed in any number of rows; but, asillustrated in the drawings, I have shown but one pair of aliningnotches, which are controlled by a valve 9. The latter is in the form ofa rectangular plate which is slidably mounted between guides 10,provided upon the plates 5 and adapted to engage the edges of saidvalve. The latter is attached to one end of an operating rod or stem 11,which slides through an opening formed in one side of the body 2. Saidrod or stem has its outer end detachably connected, as shown at 12, toone end of a lever 13, which is pivoted, as shown at 14, upon thewagonbody, and has its other end extending forwardly and withinconvenient .reach of the driver of the machine. It will be seen that byshifting said lever the valve 9 may be moved to open and close thenotches or recesses 8. By making the connection between the valve-rod 11and the operating-lever 13 detachable said valve and its rod may beremoved from the body 2 when it is desired to use the machine fordistributing the manure or fertilizer broadcast.

In order to pulverize the manure or fertilizer and feed the same betweenthe plates 5 or through the recesses 8 therein, 1 provide above saidplates a rotary agitator 14 The latter comprises atransversely-extending shaft 15, which has projecting therethrough atsuitable intervals pins or rods 16, which when the shaft is rotatedpulverize and agitate the fertilizer. Upon one of the outer ends of theshaft 15 is secured a sprocketwheel 17 which is connected by asprocketchain 18 to a sprocket-wheel 19 upon the hub of one of the rearwheels 3, so that whenthe wagon or machine is drawn forwardly by one ormore draft-animals attached thereto the agitator 14 will be rotated, aswill be readily understood.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fertilizer distributer comprising a wheelsupported body having itsbottom formed of oppositely and downwardly inclined sections spacedapart at their lower adjacent ends, adjustable plates for regulating theopening between said sections and formed with alining notches orrecesses, guides upon said plates, a valve slidable in said guide, astem projecting through and slidably mounted in said body, a lever foroperating said stem to cause said valve'to open and close said aliningnotches or recesses, a shaft journaled in said body above said valve,agitatorfingers upon said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft.

2. A fertilizer-distributer comprising a running-gear mounted uponsupportingwheels and having a body provided with oppositely anddownwardly inclined bottom sections having their lower edges spacedapart, slotted plates upon the adjacent lower edges of said lowersections, clamping-bolts passed through said slots and said sections,said plates being formed with alining recesses, guides upon said plates,a valve slidably mounted in said guides and adapted to open and closesaid alining recesses, a valve-stem attached to said valve andprojecting through said body, an operating lever attached to said stem,a transverse shaft mounted above said valve, agitator-fingers above saidshaft, a sprocket-wheel upon one end of said shaft, a sprocket-wheelupon one of said supportingwheels, and a sprocket-chain connecting saidsprocket-wheels, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set WILLIAM ALISON MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

E. MARCHANT, A. J. HUTOHINSON.

